Summary: "I can jump through puddles." Alan Marshall, "I can jump through puddles": the main characters

The autobiographical book "I can jump over puddles" is printed in 1955, when Alan Marshall was already an experienced and recognized writer in his homeland. In 53 years he returned to the bright world of childhood. He recalls episodes from his life, especially stressing the moments of overcoming difficulties. His little hero, who does not have legs, can only move on crutches. Below we will examine the characters of the work and its brief content. "I know how to jump through puddles" describes how Alan accomplished his task, became level with healthy peers and even became much higher than them in many respects.

Disease

The boy was born strong and healthy for the joy of parents. He had a whole zoo at home: the possum he tamed, the old clever cockatoo Pat, the dog Meg, the cat. But when Alan went to school, the polio epidemic broke out. He was the only child in the village who fell ill with them. Neighbors talked about God's punishment, but the father reacted to this quite differently. He did not pray, but eventually he put his son in the hospital.

By this time Alan did not feel his legs at all. In addition, they bent and did not unbend, and the back was deformed. So bitter is the story that we are considering. Let's study its brief content. "I know how to jump through puddles" describes not jumping over puddles, but much more serious achievements first of a child, and then a teenager.

In the hospital

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were no special children's hospitals in Australia. In a large room among 14 patients, Alan was the only child. Patients treated him with care. The boy even liked that he was so seriously ill and attracted everyone's attention. Moreover, he believed that this was all temporary, and he would soon be riding horses.

Alan made the most friends with Angus MacDonald. And he cheered him up when the operation was due. Alan fell asleep when he was given anesthesia, and woke up when it was all over, only the gypsum was not frozen. It was still soft and moist. The boy was told that he could not move, but he still moved to find out what would happen after that. And it turned out that the gypsum hardened incorrectly and painfully digs into the leg. Under it formed inflammation. It was very painful, and Alan, when no one saw, cried.

Gypsum was removed, but Alan was delirious from the inflammatory process for another week. And then everything went wrong with him. To improve blood circulation, the boy began to take out in a wheelchair on the street. He was interested in the arrangement of the chair, and in general, he was delighted to see something other than the hospital ward.

One boy who visited someone in the hospital, passed by a fence and threw a bag of lollipops to Alan. Piece fell far away, but Alan firmly decided to pick it up. He shook his gurney, fell out of it and crawled to the cherished sweets. Persistence in achieving the goal, as we will see, while studying the short content "I can jump over puddles", was the main quality of Alan.

At home

When Alan returned home, no one began to treat him as a cripple, and he did not perceive himself that way. His classmates came for him and took him to school in a wheelchair. One day, one of the boys threatened to hit him on the back. Alan did not keep silent, promised to answer so that from the enemy will remain a wet place. All the guys took seriously the upcoming fight. After classes, they cut the opponents' sticks, put them both to the ground, and the fight began. It ended in the victory of Alan. This episode, which shows the courage of Alan, is certainly worthy of entering into a brief summary. "I can jump through puddles," the story of Marshall, describes it very colorfully.

Hunting

And although Alan was very strong, his legs did not want to obey, but there are so many interesting things in the world besides the school. Together with his friend Joe Carmichael, he went on a hunt for crutches. They set traps and checked them every day, and in addition, they took three dogs that tracked rabbits and hares. Skins they sold to the buyer, and so the guys earned their pocket money. For Alan, whose legs did not want to obey, every step on crutches was overcoming himself, although he did not realize this. So describes his complete childhood movement Marshall. "I can jump through puddles" - this is a book of human education.

The extinct volcano

One day all the children gathered to climb a high crater and roll stones into it. Alan, though the road on his crutches and exhausted, walked along with them. After rolling the stones down, everyone decided to go down to the bottom. Alan decided to keep up with them, although he was scared. Everyone was already at the bottom, when Alan, leaving his crutches, crawled into the vent. He got to the bottom, when everyone had already decided to go upstairs.

The way back was much harder than going forward. His knees and hands ached very badly, his heart beat hard. But Alan was satisfied. This was his new step in overcoming himself. So you can understand this episode, which Marshall described. "I know how to jump through puddles" - the story that a person will not be an invalid if he does not want to be him.

What else was happening to Alan

The son of the rider was determined to learn how to sit on a horse. One of the boys at school had a pony. And Alan, having exerted incredible efforts, doing this for two years, learned to sit firmly in the saddle and control the horse, although his legs were completely inactive. He struck his father when he once rode a pony into their yard, and showed that the horse beneath him prances, and he freely controls it. Alan learned to swim. In their area, not only children, but also adults did not know how. He studied himself. First he looked at the frogs, how they swam, then read the manuals, and only when one passerby who lived not in their land showed how to work with his hands, everything turned out well for Alan.

This is not all of Alan's achievements, but only a very brief retelling. "I can jump through puddles" - this is a work that describes all the milestones of the formation of an unbending person.

The main characters that surround Alan

Around Alan are mostly friends who do not pay attention to his defect. Friends and parents are the main characters. "I can jump through puddles" - a work that is filled with their strength and support. Father and mother, although they are worried about their son, but allow him to develop as a healthy boy. Two friends, Joe Carmichael and Freddie Hawke, do not give him offense to anyone, and the brave girl Maggie Mulligan once defended Alan from the furious bull.

The book "I know how to jump through puddles" involuntarily forces me to compare myself with Alan Marshall and rethink my actions.